Ornamental Shrub Turning Brown - A Way to Save it?

Ornamental Shrub Turning Brown - A Way to Save it?

Sun May 15, 2005 10:53 pm

Hi, this is my first time posting...I am a very novice gardener and want to learn more. The front of our house has pretty extensive landscaping done by the previous owners...we just upkeep and maintain (hopefully one day I will remodel!) since we bought the house.

There is an ornamental shrub (i think it is a juniper but am not sure) that is shaped into 6 or 7 round pom-poms in a circular fashion. This shrub was always healthy and green/blue. But for the past year or two I have noticed that it is starting to turn dry and brown from bottom up. One pom-pom is completely brown and dry.

Is there hope for this shrub, or is it a goner? Can anything be done to revive this?

Juniper is susceptible to a juniper twig blight that would attack from the ground (splash up in rain or watering) but then travel through the plants system. Tell tale sign would be to cut a dead branch and if the heartwood is black instead of a healthy red, it's definitely phomopsis. A systemic fungicide would be the only answer...